Sochi has plenty to deliver

February 13, 2014

When I told her we were watching the WVU game, she said, "Good. Just as long as I don't have to see that Canadian women's hockey again. I watched it three times."

And she had been switching to any number of the NBC-related networks offering Olympic events throughout the day.

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At one juncture, I think curling was on every network. (I'm a fan of the Great Britain women's team, but we'll skip that subject.)

Through all the curling coverage, I never did see a broadcaster for whom I was watching - largely looking for her because we've exchanged a few tweets.

Her job is to interview participants. Given the Americans' performance on the first day in curling, both men and women, there might not be many interview opportunities for her and chances for me to watch her.

No question there are going to be repeats because Sochi is eight hours ahead of us. They can only show so many live events during most of our waking hours. Our prime time is Sochi's sleeping time.

Yet, as much as we'd like to escape winter in these parts, we watch the Winter Olympics.

Why?

We see most of these sports only every four years - during the Olympics.

A couple of cross country ski races held my attention, and not because I am a cross country skiier. (Just because my name ends in S-K-I does not mean I ski; don't know about Lipinski.)

I tried cross country skiing once, and all the smitten female, a regular cross country skier, whom I accompanied, kept knocking me over and rubbing my face in the snow. Once I figured it out, she couldn't keep up with me.

Those cross country skiiers don't go as fast as their downhill compatriots. Or the men and women in the skeletons, lugesleds and bobsleds.

We interrupt the Winter Olympics for the West Virginia basketball game.

Actually, the Iowa State-West Virginia game.

No, the West Virginia game.

The Mountaineers were as unbeatable Monday night against Iowa State as the Russian figure skating team or whichever team will be playing the U.S. women's curling team.

The straight-haired curlers without curlers.

I watched the curling women lose twice to the same team on Monday. It only counted for one loss, however.

The second time I watched them, it was a repeat. It might've been a repeat the first time I watched them play Switzerland, too, because it might also have been carried live on television somewhere in the middle of the night - or the time passengers must get up in order to make the mark for the MARC train in order to work in Washington. I really have no idea.

Some of the Olympic event broadcasts seem to be on an endless loop.

My wife said to me on Monday, "Will the Olympics be the same thing tonight?"

"Yep, what you see during the day will be on again sometime at night."The speed is fascinating, bodies flying at 80 mph. Those who watch NASCAR only for the wrecks look out for the same things in these speed events -as well as figure skating.

The wipeout.

The repeats might wipe out some.

I swear the prime-time telecast and the after-midnight one are exactly the same. Something new, something live comes on a couple of NBC networks at 3 a.m.

The wife is still worried about seeing the Canadian women's hockey team. After Wednesday, maybe the Americans are, too.

As if the wife didn't need to be reminded about the Canadian women's hockey game, our grandson popped in the door Monday, asking "if Finland scored?"

Finland played Canada in the hockey game that day.

Our grandson wanted to know if Finland had gotten a medal. Who knows why he was interested in Finland?

As for the wife, if she had enough of hockey on Monday, I told her to just wait until the men started to play.

With the teams of the various countries filled with NHL players and NBC owning the TV contract for the league in the states, there will be plenty of hockey on every channel probably at any given moment.